WILKINSON COUNTY, GA - MILITARY CONFEDERATE William Wallace Adams - 57th Reg Co F ***************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm *********************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: John E. Adams & Linda Adams Perkins JAdams4310@aol.com The following is an article published for our Adams Family Reunion genealogy newsletter in April of 2001. My cousin Linda and I share the research. In the year after the article was published, we discovered the reason that 16-year old William Wallace Adams volunteered to serve in the Confederate army was to avenge the terrible wounds received by his older brother Andrew Jackson Adams in the battle of Frazer's (or Frazier's) Farm during the Seven Days Battle(s) in Virginia. We felt the history of the 57th GA to be quite fascinating, particularly in the controversial "near mutiny" proposed by some while stationed near Savannah. I hope you find my account interesting. Many of the details are sketchy, but I have tried to be as accurate as possible in recounting the actual events which took place involving these courageous men, for whom honor meant everything. I would appreciate your input on any details which might shed further light on the places and events this brave young man may have witnessed during his service in the 57th GA. John E. Adams Columbia, SC WILLIAM WALLACE ADAMS -- CONFEDERATE SOLDIER William Wallace Adams was the youngest child of Robert Adams and Sidney Manderson. He was born on 18 Dec 1845 in Crawford County, Georgia. When we first saw it, Linda and I were intrigued by the name William Wallace, since it hinted at Scottish blood somewhere in the family lines. Many of you will recognize the name William Wallace as the Scottish hero depicted in the movie "Braveheart". We later discovered that William's grandfather, John Hume Manderson, had been born in the village of Dunbar, Scotland. On 3 Aug 1862, William enlisted as a private in the 57th Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Company F, also known as "Bragg's Rifles". The company was made up of Crawford County men. We can almost see William leaving home, filled with thoughts of honor and glory, saying how he was going to "send the Yankees back from where they came". Every sixteen-year old Southern boy at the time knew that, in the words of historian Ashley Foote, "One Southern soldier is worth ten Yankee hirelings." Soon, young William would separate the fantasy of war from the reality. The regiment first marched from Dalton, Georgia to Chattanooga, Tennessee where they were issued weapons. Initially, they were to take part in the Kentucky campaign, but records indicate they saw little action there before being ordered to Vicksburg, Mississippi to help defend that city. Before reaching Vicksburg, William had his first real test as a soldier. It came on 16 May 1863 at a place called Baker's Creek, Mississippi (known as Champion's Hill by the Union forces). Many of the men in William's Company were killed, captured, or wounded. Although the battle was a Union victory, the 57th Georgia and it's officers received high praise for their actions in what was to be William's "baptism of fire". The next day, the regiment continued on to Vicksburg, arriving that evening. On the 18th, they moved into the trenches surrounding the city, where they remained without relief for 47 days. Twice, Union General Ulysses S. Grant attempted to take the city by direct assault, the first on the 19th of May and the second on the 22nd. Both assaults were met bravely by the Confederates. Both times, the Union forces were driven back. Grant cut off the city's supply lines and the two armies settled in for a siege. 31,000 Confederates faced 71,000 Union troops at distances from 70 to 150 yards between the rifle pits. During the siege, an almost unremitting fire of sharpshooters was kept up during all hours of daylight, varied by occasional brisk cannon fire. There was even a night assault, which was a rarity in the Civil War. It was conducted by Lt. Col. C.S. Guyton with portions of the 57th Georgia, accompanied by Reynolds Brigade of the 43rd Tennessee. The Union troops, superior in number, were taken totally by surprise. The smaller Confederate force overwhelmed them completely. Many Union troops were killed or captured in the fight. Finally, on 4 July 1863, Confederate General Pemberton surrendered the city of Vicksburg. Without resupply of food, ammunition, and other necessities, there was no other choice. It was only a matter of time. General Pemberton, a Northerner by birth, knew that he could receive the most favorable terms for his men on the 4th of July more than any other day of the year. Of the original regiment, about 200 men of the 57th Georgia survived Vicksburg. 20,000 men of the two armies had died, about one in five. After the fall of the city, Confederate Major General Stevenson wrote: "I cannot find words sufficiently strong to express the pride and gratification afforded me by the dauntless spirit with which officers and men encountered all the dangers, and by the unmurmuring endurance with which they bore up for the forty-seven sleepless nights and days, under all the hardships incident to their position. Confined, without a moment's relief from the very day of their entrance into the fortifications to that of the capitulation of the city, to the narrow trenches; exposed without shelter to the broiling sun and drenching rain; subsisting on rations barely sufficient for the support of life; engaged from the earliest dawn till dark, and often during the night, in one ceaseless conflict with the enemy, they neither faltered nor complained, but, ever looking forward with confidence to relief, bore up bravely under every privation -- saw their ranks decimated by disease and the missles of the enemy --with the fortitude that adorns the soldier and the spirit that becomes the patriot who battles in a holy cause." After laying down their arms, the 57th Georgia marched to parole camp (at Demopolis, Alabama?) to await exchange. Neither side at the time had the means for dealing with large numbers of captured troops. They instead relied on the traditional European system for the parole and exchange of prisoners. Under the parole system, any prisoner not exchanged within ten days of being captured was to be released upon swearing an oath that he would not to take up arms against his captors until he had been formally exchanged for an enemy prisoner. A copy of the oath taken by these men survived the war. It was preserved by Private James Harrison Joyner of the 57th Georgia, Company F, the same unit to which William belonged. It reads, in part: "...that I shall not take up arms again against the United States, nor serve in any military, police, or constabulary force in any Fort, Garrison, or field work, held by the Confederate States of America, against the United States of America, nor as guard of prisons, depots or stores, nor discharge any duties usually performed by Officers or soldiers against the United States of America, until duly exchanged by the proper authorities." - Vicksburg, Mississippi, 7 July 1863 Sometimes, several months would pass before the paroled soldier would be notified that he had been exchanged. During that time, the lucky soldiers would be allowed to go to their homes and wait until instructed to rejoin their units; however, this did not happen with the men of the 57th. Thus began the problems which would greatly affect the men and give birth to a very controversial event in their regimental history. By the autumn of 1863, the prisoner exchange system between North and South had broken down. There were several reasons. The South refused to treat captured black soldiers as prisoners of war, even sending some into slavery. The North, having all the soldiers it needed, said that they had no need to exchange prisoners. Prison populations on both sides swelled to overflowing. The living conditions in these prisons became intolerable. Starvation, disease, lack of adequate shelter, clothing, and medical services was common to both sides, North and South. Before the exchange system had broken down, the men of the 57th Georgia had already been paroled. They had expected to be allowed to return home....a chance to see their families and remove themselves from the horrors of war for a time. Instead, they were pressed back into service. In January of 1864, they were ordered to Savannah. William's unit, Company F, was one of five companies stationed on tiny Rose Dew Island in the mouth of the Little Ogeechee River. Together with them were members of the 54th and 63rd Georgia Regiments. Being so close to home, and feeling they had not been properly exchanged before again taking up arms, discontent began to spread among the men on Rose Dew. These men had given their word of honor...sworn an solemn oath... that they would not take up arms again until they had been properly exchanged, and this had not occurred. There was not much fighting going on around Savannah during these months. Some members of another regiment...the 54th Georgia, frustrated by their situation, bored and idle, began to voice their resentment. Words became heated. Talk of insubordination and desertion began to spread to other units stationed on Rose Dew, including members of the 57th. Some attempted to convince others to join them in open revolt. Their plan was to leave their posts carrying their arms and ammunition, excite other companies to join with them, and then march to the interior of the state. They expressed that they were sick of the war and believed that such an act would inspire others to do the same, perhaps even bringing about an end to the war. When their commanders first heard of the conspiracy, they could not believe it, but upon investigation found it to be true. The plotters had even set a date and a time for the uprising. It was to take place on the evening of the 12th (and into the morning of the 13th) of January. The planners of the revolt, men of the 54th Georgia, had exacted an oath from all who had knowlege of it not to divulge their intentions; however, word of the plan leaked out. Regimental officers quickly cordoned off Rose Dew Island, isolating it from the rest of the command. Suspects were questioned and troops were stationed there to watch the men and put down any attempt at insurrection. One member of the 54th Georgia, a Private Coleman, was arrested and held as the ringleader of the conspiracy, but records of the time indicate that he was later released to continue his military service. Requests were made by the officers of the command to have the units involved in the insurrection immediately sent out of Georgia, preferably to Charleston or some other location where fighting was taking place. Instead, the men of the 57th Georgia were sent by train to the Confederate prison at Andersonville for duty as prison guards. This happened only days after the infamous Captain Wirz became the commandant at Andersonville. With Union General William Tecumseh Sherman advancing on Atlanta, the 57th Georgia remained at Andersonville only a short time. We don't know the exact day when William's regiment arrived in the vicinity of Atlanta, but we do know they were there no later than 21 May 1864. In a letter from Confederate commander Joseph E. Johnston to President Jefferson Davis dated 21 May near Allatoona, Georgia, he mentions that "...the 57th Georgia has arrived..." There was much fighting around Atlanta at the time, almost daily. Mention is made of the regiment in the following battles and skirmishes which took place during a period from 13 May to 22 July 1864: Resaca Cassville Pumpkin Vine Creek Dallas New Hope Church Allatoona Hills Marietta Pine Hill Lost Mountain Kennesaw Mountain Peachtree Creek The Battle of Atlanta In a report made by Lt. Col. Guyton to his superiors, he notes that on 24 July 1864, the 57th Georgia was fighting 2-1/2 miles from Atlanta, southwest of the Fair Ground Road. Other correspondence of the time shows that during the next few days, no fighting is reported involving the regiment, as they dug in for a siege. Of course, the fighting eventually resumed. Atlanta fell. Sherman made his infamous March to the Sea....and the 57th Georgia went on to fight in northern Alabama and middle Tennessee. The final surrender for the surviving men of the 57th came on 26 April 1865 in Bentonville, NC, but our William was not among them. The inscription in the Adams Family Bible reads only: William Wallace Adams 16 Dec 1845 - 27 July 1864 At some point during the Atlanta campaign, William had been mortally wounded. He was sent to a Confederate hospital in La Grange, Georgia. We don't know the exact date he arrived there, but by researching the engagements and movements of the 57th on the above- mentioned dates, we are sure that William did not die quickly from his wounds. He lingered for a time...at least several days....perhaps even weeks. We have very recently discovered evidence that suggests that William may have had family members with him when he died. In the family Bible is a slip of paper with William's name; also written on the paper is "Hospital #10". William is buried there in La Grange...in the Confederate Cemetery. Linda has been there and found his grave. We plan to visit it together during the week following this year's reunion. (On the day of the reunion after presenting this article, Linda and I visited William's grave. Before leaving, we placed a small Confederate flag in the earth next to his tombstone. We both felt that somehow, somewhere, his spirit knew that we were there and that we would always remember him.) In retrospect, the reluctance of the men of the 57th Georgia to fight while stationed at Savannah was not evidence of cowardice or disloyalty to the Confederacy. They did not reject the principles for which they had so nobly fought at Vicksburg. If anything, they were upholding those principles. They had sworn a solemn oath and, being forced to take up arms again, in direct violation of that oath, they felt that their honor had been compromised. Honor meant everything to these men. It was part and parcel of all the things that they were fighting for. They had fought bravely. They had shed their blood. They had seen their friends, their neighbors, even their brothers die in defense of that honor. How could they then dishonor the memory of their fallen comarades by going against their word? The men of the 57th Georgia went on to fight as bravely as before in defending their homes, their families, their way of life. Many, like William, made the ultimate sacrifice. ....but they never lost their honor. © 2001 John E. Adams & Linda Adams Perkins